All vehicle owners who have had occasion to use a self-service gas pump are well familiar with the mechanics of filling a gas tank. Where the pump activation lever has to be manually held in position by the vehicle owner, the process of filling the gas tank can be time-consuming and uncomfortable, and can result in the inhalation of harmful vapors. If not for the need to keep his or her hand on the activation lever, a person pumping gas could otherwise engage in more useful activities, such as cleaning the vehicle's windows, going to the bathroom, purchasing something to drink or eat, using a phone, or the like.
Some gas stations equip the gas pump handle with an integral latch or other device which can be used to maintain the activation lever in an activated position without the continued use of a person's hand. However, the constant use of these devices causes many of them to become unreliable. Additionally, many gas stations are not equipped with these devices at all.
A need therefore existed for a portable hands-free gas pumping device which can be carried by the driver from gas station to gas station and used to keep the activation lever in an activated position without the continued use of a person's hand.